You Fall Slowly [A Seamus Finnigan Love Story]

T w o

After a tense last few minutes of the train ride between Hermione and Luna, and an unpleasant (as always) run in with Malfoy, I had already changed into my uniform and was ready to go and find my friends.

As Hermione pulled Ron, who still had half a Licorice Wand stuffed into his mouth, down the hallway to go supervise, I gave Ginny a quick hug and waved good bye to the others, before rushing out with Manilla and my trunk.

I made it three steps into the night air before nearly being tackled to the ground.

"Merlin's beard!" I shouted, before recognizing the bouncy blonde hair that belonged to Celia. "Get off me, you psycho!"

She laughed backing up a bit. "I missed you. It wasn't the same, just owling you all summer."

"Well let us hug her too," another voice piped up.

I turned my head and saw Delia and Willow standing the with smiles on their faces. I beckoned them forward, and we all joined in a big hug.

After of minute of them exclaiming about how much they missed me, I finally got a word in.

"Well why didn't you guys come to find me on the train?" I asked.

Delia smirked, a wicked grin that matched her twin's. Celia and Delia were not exactly identical twins, but not fraternal twins either. They had the same heart-shaped face and lean body structure, but Celia's eyes were blue, while Delia's were green. Plus, Delia had a habit of twisting her blonde hair, which was just a few shades darker than Celia's, up with her wand, while Celia always left hers down.

"We figured you were with Seamus, and definitely didn't want to interrupt that," Delia said pointedly.

I rolled my eyes at the way she said Seamus's name, before replying. "Actually, I haven't seen him yet."

Willow arched a eyebrow. "At all?"

"Nope," I answered. "We should probably grab a carriage."

They all nodded, and we began walking again, Delia and Willow with their owls and CC (Celia says that she hates when I call her that, but I know she secretly loves it) with her cat.

We loaded up into a carriage, which began pulling itself, as always. After the ride up to the castle, we were walking towards the Great Hall, CC and Willow skipping happily a few feet in front of us, while Delia laughed at them.

Delia was suddenly nudged from my side as the two redheaded idiots squished me on either side.

"Evie!" Fred and George exclaimed in unison, each resting their elbow on my head, simply to rub in my face that they were so much taller.

"Gred, Forge! How have you two morons been?" I questioned, shoving their arms off my head and attempting to smooth down my know frizzed locks.

"I'd say our summer was quite alright, wouldn't you say Gred?" Fred asked his twin as we continued strolling through the halls.

"I think I'd agree, Forge," they chuckled before looking back at me. "But do tell, Eve, how was America?"

Before I could respond, Delia shoved Fred out of the way, taking her spot on my right side back from him. "I'm sure she'd absolutely love to tell you, but I have a feeling it will have to wait," Delia said with a smirk.

"And why is that, my dear Delia?" George asked with a grin as he cocked and eyebrow at her.

I know she will deny it later, but she most definitely blushed, before looking across the hall. "Because she is now with fifteen feet of Mr. Finnigan."

Despite myself, my head turned to where she was looking and I saw she was right. Seamus was walking a bit away from us with Dean.

As I walked towards them, I heard my oh-so-wonderful friends giggling and rolled my eyes. Once I was close enough, I ran and launched myself onto Seamus' back, sending him stumbling and shouting a few curse words.

Dean laughed at him once he saw it was me and Seamus seemed to realize as well as he swung me off his back and around to face him.

"Evie! It's you!" he shouted, pulling me into a hug. I laughed as he spun around once, easily lifting me off my feet, before setting me back down.

He looked me up and down, a wide grin covering his face. "Did you get shorter?" he asked teasingly.

I scowled, but smiled once more as he chuckled. "Shut up! You're such a brat," I laughed out.

"Aw, but you love me," he winked over-exaggeratedly.

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever makes you sleep at night."

Dean cleared his throat. "Excuse me. He's not the only one here, you know?"

I laughed, letting Dean pull me in for a hug as well. He ruffled my hair, causing me to groan. "Why does everybody keep doing that?"

"'Cause your hair is at just the right level to reach out and mess it up," he teased, ruffling it again as I shoved him away and glared.

"I'm not that short!" I yelled, patting my hair down and glaring at the laughing boys.

Harry walked by with Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, and, surprisingly, Luna. "You kind of are," he said with a grin, before continuing by, Ginny laughing as I smacked the back of his head, before letting him walk away.

I nearly missed Seamus tensing as Harry walked by, seeing as he relaxed after he left. I looked up at him, seeing his eyes trained on Harry, watching him with a hard look, bordering on a glare.

"You alright?" I mumbled, openly confused as to why Seamus would be upset with Harry. Last year they had been friendly enough with each other.

Heck, Seamus was closer with Harry than Ron was, for the short period of time when Ron was being an idiot during the First Task last year.

Seamus looked back down at me, the look from his eyes receding, but still lingering. "Yeah, I'm fine. So, how was America?"